An aggressive batsman who also bowls, Suryakumar Yadav made an impressive 73 on his Ranji debut in 2010 against Delhi. In 2011-12, his first full season for Mumbai, Yadav delivered on the early promise by topping Mumbai's run charts in the Ranji Trophy. He hit a double-century against Orissa in only his third match of the season and followed it up with another century in the next match. He capped off the season with yet another century in the Duleep Trophy. However, his form took a remarkable dip in the next season as he scored only 73 runs in six first-class innings. That year seemed to be an aberration as Yadav was back among runs in the 2013-14 season where he finished among the top three run-getters from Mumbai.

A batsman not afraid to innovate, Yadav's game is suited for the shorter versions of the game. He was signed by the Mumbai Indians in 2011, having played just one first-class game and in the 2014 auction, Kolkata Knight Riders forked out INR 70 lakh for his services.